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8 Inspiring Animals That Never Gave Up

For many animals with physical obstacles to overcome, the chances of survival are low. But for a lucky few, there are ways to tackle physical impairments that can make a huge, positive change in their lives.

These inspiring animals will break your heart with the challenges they've faced, then inspire you with their persistence in the face of it all.

Check out these eight stories of animals choosing not to give up, and the people who supported them along the way.

1. Lily, the Rabbit on Wheels

This tiny bunny became a bit of an Internet star after North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary posted a video of her rolling around in her new wheelchair.

Lily came to the sanctuary with a broken back and needed to have her legs amputated. Luckily, her specially-constructed wheelchair helps her scurry around. She currently lives at the sanctuary and is available for adoption.

2. Chhouk, the Elephant With a Prosthetic Cast

Chhouk, a bull elephant, was discovered alone in the Cambodian jungle in 2007. According to NBC News, his foot was badly mangled from a poacher's trap. Nick Marx, director of wildlife rescue and care at the Wildlife Alliance rescued the baby elephant, bringing it to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center where he nursed Chhouk back to health.

Because he lost 6 to 8 inches of his leg, Chhouk was fitted with a special prosthetic cast that can be easily removed for cleaning or replacement. The young elephant, now 7 years old, happily roams the wildlife preserve with his adoptive mother, thanks to his specially-made foot.

3. Naki'o, the Dog with Prosthetic Limbs

Dubbed "the bionic dog" in 2011, Naki'o, a mixed-breed pup from Nebraska, is well-known on the Internet for his four prosthetic paws. According to Geekosystem, Naki'o's previous owners abandoned him in a foreclosed home, where his paws suffered severe frostbite after stepping into a puddle of icy water. Fortunately, he and his litter were rescued and transported to an animal rescue center.

Veterinary technician Christie Tomlinson adopted Naki'o and started a fundraiser to purchase prosthetic leg devices for his two back legs. The procedure went so well that OrthoPets, a company that builds prosthetic limbs for animals, donated two for Naki'o's front paws as well. Post-surgery, Reuters reported that he lives and frolics happily in Colorado Springs.

4. Chris P. Bacon, the Pig With a Wheelchair

Dr. Len Lucero fell in love with this tiny piglet the moment he saw him.

According to Chris P. Bacon's website, a young woman brought the piglet into Lucero's Florida veterinary office after discovering him on her family's farm. Born without functioning hind legs, Chris was unable to walk and the woman felt it would be best for the pig to be put down. Instead, Lucero chose to adopt the piglet and constructed a small, functioning pug wheelchair out of his son's K'Nex set.

Since video of Chris rolling around in his makeshift wheelchair hit the Internet, he's become a viral sensation. He and Lucero have made multiple media appearances and, according to The Blaze he is set to be the subject of three upcoming children's books. Chris has also retired his toy wheelchair in favor of a dog wheelchair.

5. Buttercup, the Duck With a 3D-Printed Foot

Buttercup was born with a backwards foot last November, which made walking a challenge for this little duck. But that didn't stop his caretakers at Feathered Angels Waterfoul Sanctuary from searching for a solution.

They teamed up with NovaCopy, a 3D-printing company, to scan a print a copy of Buttercup's sister's left foot. Using this copy, they crafted a silicone version that fits perfectly on the duck's leg. Thanks to this new technology, Buttercup is walking happily on two feet.

6. Beauty, the American Bald Eagle With a Prosthetic Beak

Beauty, an 8-year-old American bald eagle, suffered a traumatic injury when poachers shot her beak off. Jane Fink Cantwell of Birds of Prey Northwest rescued her and immediately began searching for a solution to help the poor eagle. Without a proper beak, Beauty would not be able to take care of herself in the wild.

That's when mechanical engineer Nate Calvin contacted Cantwell with an idea for a prosthetic beak that would allow Beauty to eat and preen her feathers. Though they were unsure if the plan would work, they developed a prototype and soon were able to attach the beak to the eagle's face. Thankfully the prosthetic implant worked incredibly well, and Beauty was finally able to feed and care for herself again.

Beauty's natural beak has since begun to show growth, pushing the prosthetic off. She is now able to feed herself without the use of the model beak.

7. Summer, the Sheep in a Wheelchair

When Summer's back legs slowly began to give out in April 2010, the team at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary was seriously concerned. Her caretakers consulted the experts at Cornell Veterinary Hospital who determined that she had acquired meningeal worm, a parasite that can cause severe or fatal neurological problems in sheep.

As her condition worsened, she lost the ability to use her back legs and seemed to become depressed. That's when her caretakers contacted Eddie's Wheels for Pets, a Massachusetts-based company that specializes in creating wheelchairs for animals. It outfitted Summer with a wheelchair that gave her the chance to frolic with her pals around the farm again.

Sadly, blood tests revealed that Summer had an incurable disease that she could not recover from. As Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary writes of this video, however, watching Summer work to regain her mobility "shows her strength and determination to have the best life she could!"

8. The Goldfish in a Sling

YouTube user synirr uploaded this video of her goldfish wearing a homemade sling constructed to help the fish maintain buoyancy. The video went viral, as people became impressed with the clever and touching idea.

According to the video's description, the sling helps the little fish swim around rather than spend all her time at the bottom of the tank. Because competition for food is still an issue for the fish, the YouTube user still feeds her by hand.

Do you know any stories of animals overcoming physical obstacles? Please share them in the comments.

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